Every once in a while — far too often, as a matter of fact — I read or hear a reference to conservatives in general as “neo-cons.”
The truth is that neo-conservativism is a distinct brand of right-wingery and should not be confused with other manifestations.
This passage from Wikipedia is instructive:

Neoconservatism is a political movement born in the United States during the 1960s. Many of its adherents rose to political fame during the Republican presidential administrations of the 1970s, 1980s, 1990s and 2000s. Neoconservatives peaked in influence during the presidency of George W. Bush, when they played a major role in promoting and planning the invasion of Iraq. Prominent neoconservatives in the Bush administration included Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld, Paul Wolfowitz, John Bolton, Elliott Abrams, Richard Perle and Paul Bremer.

The term “neoconservative” refers to those who made the ideological journey from the anti-Stalinist left to the camp of American conservatism. Neoconservatives frequently advocate the “assertive” promotion of democracy and promotion of “American national interest interest” in international affairs including by means of military force. The movement had its intellectual roots in the Jewishmonthly review magazine Commentary.Putting it another way, Tea Party people generally are not neo-cons. — and vice-versa.